C41
Kodak Portra 400
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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The Contax TVS III, introduced in 1999, is the third and final iteration of Kyocera's premium compact zoom series. Where the original TVS (1993) offered a 28-56mm Vario-Sonnar, the TVS III moves to a 30-60mm f/3.7-6.7 T* lens — a slightly tighter wide end but a meaningfully longer telephoto reach. The titanium and aluminum alloy body maintains the premium compact format, weighing approximately 245 g, and pairs the Zeiss-coated optic with multi-pattern metering, program and aperture-priority AE, and a leaf shutter syncing at all speeds. It was manufactured until Kyocera ended Contax production in 2005, making it the last zoom compact in the TVS line.
Reference
Recommended film stocks for the 35mm format your camera takes.
C41
Kodak Portra 400 is a professional C-41 color negative film known for flexible exposure latitude, natural skin tones, and fine grain.
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Kodak Gold 200 is a daylight-balanced C-41 color negative film with warm color, moderate grain, and a classic consumer-film look.
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Kodak UltraMax 400 is a versatile consumer-grade ISO 400 daylight-balanced color negative film with T-grain emulsion, delivering warm Kodak colors, fine-for-speed grain (PGI 46), and wide exposure latitude. Currently in production and available globally as a single-roll and multi-pack.
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Before you buy used
About this camera
The refined third-generation Zeiss zoom compact - titanium, Vario-Sonnar 30-60mm, the TVS line at its most complete.
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Format | 35mm |
| Lens | Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 30-60mm f/3.7-6.7 |
| Years | 1999 – 2005 |
| Shutter | 8s – 1/500s, electronic leaf |
| Flash sync | 1/500s (all speeds) |
| Meter | Multi-pattern silicon |
| EV range | ~EV 4 – EV 18 |
| Modes | Program, Aperture-priority |
| Focus | Autofocus |
| Weight | ~245 g |
| Battery | CR123A |
Kyocera introduced the original TVS in 1993 as a complement to the fixed-lens Contax T2, reasoning that a Zeiss-branded zoom compact would fill the travel market. The TVS II (~1997) refined the formula with incremental improvements. The TVS III arrived in 1999, shifting the lens range from the TVS's 28-56mm to 30-60mm and updating the maximum aperture specification to f/3.7-6.7 — slightly slower at the wide end, somewhat slower at the long end, but covering a 2x zoom ratio in a lens that remained pocketable.
The simplified battery configuration (a single CR123A versus the three CR2032 coin cells of the original TVS) improved practical usability. The TVS III was produced until Kyocera's April 2005 announcement that it was ceasing camera manufacturing, ending the Contax brand. Unlike the T2 and T3 fixed-lens siblings, the TVS III has not attracted equivalent collector attention, keeping used prices somewhat more accessible.
The TVS III represents the mature state of the TVS concept: a premium zoom compact with genuine Zeiss coating, titanium body construction, and sophisticated metering — attributes that most contemporaries in the zoom compact segment did not offer at equivalent build quality. The 30-60mm range is practical for travel, covering moderate wide-angle through short portrait-length territory.
For contemporary film photographers, the TVS III competes with cameras like the Nikon 35Ti and Ricoh GR1v in the premium compact category, distinguished by the zoom capability and Zeiss branding. The f/3.7-6.7 aperture range is slow even by compact standards, which limits low-light performance without flash; in good light, T* coating provides the contrast and micro-contrast characteristic of Zeiss-branded optics.
C41
Kodak ColorPlus 200 is an affordable, consumer-oriented daylight-balanced color negative film at ISO 200. Known for warm, slightly muted color rendition, fine grain, and wide exposure latitude, it is currently in production and widely available in Asia and select global markets.
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Kodak Tri-X 400 is a classic black-and-white film known for strong tonality, visible grain, and documentary character.
View profile →Contax TVS III
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